President Obama welcomed the Yankees into the East Room this afternoon, and celebrated their World Series championship by speaking more about the Yankees tradition than about their wins and losses.

He singled out Mark Teixeira’s work with a scholarship fund at his high school, and the spoke about Jorge Posada’s work for children with Craniosynostosis. He said that Derek Jeter “epitomizes” the tradition of the Yankees.

“What people tend to forget,” President Obama said. “Especially after watching their teams lose, is that being a Yankee is as much about character as it is about performance; as much about who you are as what you do. Being successful in New York doesn’t come easy, and it’s not for everybody. It takes a certain kind of player to thrive in the pressure cooker of Yankee Stadium -– somebody who is poised and professional, and knows what it takes to wear the pinstripes. It takes somebody who appreciates how lucky he is, and who feels a responsibility for those who are less fortunate.”

After the event, Jeter, Teixeira, Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez and Joe Girardi met briefly with the media outside of the West Wing.